Friction shock absorber for railway car truck springs



June 20, 1950 s. B. HASELTINE 2,512,015

' CTIQN 5H0 SORBER FOR 11H x w June 20, 1950 s. B. H ELTINE 2,512,016-FRICT suo ABSOR R FOR RAIL CAR TRUCK RINGS Filed May 15, 1948 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenjfar:

S/gy BJlaseZ/l'n Patented June 20, 1950 rmc'rioN $11 91; ABSO anna .I mRAILWAY GAR TRUCK SJPRJN S Stacy B. llaseltine, La Grange, Ill.,assignor to W- H, Miner, Iuc-a C ica l-. a corp n of Delaware 7Application May 15, 1948, Serial No. 27,207

1 This invention relates to improvements in Friction Shock Absorbers forsnubbing the action of truck springs of railway cars. One object of theinvention is to provide a friction shock absorber especially adapted forsnubbing the action of railway car truck springs, comprising a pair ofrelatively lengthwise slidable friction elements and spring meansopposing relative lengthwise movement of the friction elements withrespect to each other, wherein the friction elements have cooperatingfriction surfaces and interengaged uide portions which are or ed int dng a ment with each other by the sp n m ans to press the fric s rfacesof the posts together.

oth objects of the ve tion w mo e cl ar 1y appea from the d sc pti n andl s h remat er followin In the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, Figure 1 is a transverse, vertical sectional view ofthe improved shock absorber. Fi ure 2 is a;horiaonta1sectional view,corresponding substantially to the line 2.2 of Figure l, with the springomitted. I Figure 3 is a iront elevational view of Figure. 1, partlybroken away, and with the spring omitted. Figure 4 is a horizontalsectional view, corresponding sub stantially to the offsetline 4-4 ofFigure 3. Fig- 111;6 5 is a top plan view of the bottom friction elementshown in Figure ,1. Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the bottomfriction element shown in Figure ,2, looking from right to left in saidfigure, Figure 1s a broken, verticalsections a1 view, correspondingsubstantially to the line 1H1 of Figure 3. Y My improved Shock absorber,as illustrated in the drawings, comprises broadly top and bottom similarfriction elements or posts A and B and a spring resistance 0. v

I The friction posts A and B areidentical, each post comprising avertically disposed body pore .tion [0, a base member'll, and alaterally extending, annular flange l2, projecting from said baseportion, concentric with the vertical axis of the device, and forming afollower integral with saidpost.

' The two posts A and B are reversely arranged, that is, the post A isinverted with respect to the post B, as shown most clearly in Figure 1..As shown in Figure 1. the follower l 2 of the. postB is located at thebottom of thedevice and has the body portion ID of thepost upstandingthere..- rrom, "while the followerof the post A is located at the upp rendof t ev ce an the bo nor- 5 claims. (01. 267-9) of each post isrounded on its outer side and ta pa s upwardly, as indicated at l3. Onthe inner side, each post presents a longitudinally extendiing,laterally inwardly projecting flange or pl e member M, which is at oneside of a, plane on cident with the central longitudinal axis of t amechanism. The side of the plate member Mi facing the centrallongitudinal axis of the mach.- ani m pre ents a l ngthwise e te d n ubsa all a rictio su ac S. The out r longitudinal edge of the plate memberI4 is inclined. as hown, and is beveled off or cut away to present atran iverse wedge face H5. The plate members I i-l4 oi th two p sts ar ds sed ide by side and have the friction surfaces l5l5 there-- oi engagemn w th ac ther. Th we se shaped outer edge of each post is engaged in acooperating, longitudinally extendin groove I 1' of wedge-shaped,transverse cross section in theother post, at the inner side of theplate member l4 thereof, each groove l1 presenting a wedge face 18,which is engaged with the wedge face Id of the cooperating plate memberI4. The wedge faced edge of the plate I4 of each post and thecooperating groove I! of the other post are preferably inclined, asshown, the inclination of the same being upwardly to the right, as showninFigure's 1 and 3. At the outer end thereof, each post is provided witha pair of stop lugs I 9-l9, which engage with the corresponding stoplugs of-the other post to limit lengthwise separation of'said posts.Each pair of lugs Ill-l9 and IQ- 49 of the two posts embrace the platemembers 14-44 of said posts at opposite sides and form guides forpreventing lateral separation of said plate members.

The followers l2.-l2 of the two posts are pro vided with central pocketsill-20, adapted-to ac= oommodate the usual spring centering projecetions of the top and bottom follower plates of a truck spring cluster ofa railway ar.

The spring resistance C, which is in the form of a helical coil,surrounds the posts A and B and bears at its top a d b tom nds on thefollower |;2 l.2 of said posts, respectively. The interior diameter ofhe spring C and the spread of the posts a su that e in r side of he toand bo t coils o t e sp ing bear later lly i ward y the vert cal walls ot e base p rt on H of the posts, that is, the inner side of the coil atthe upper end of the spring bears on the vertical wall o the ase memberof the p st A at the left hand side of the device, as seen in Figure l,and the cell at he lower end of t e spr b a -on tion .10 depends theriromflhe body pottion 1. n the vertical wa l. .of the base H of thepostl? at wedge faces I6|6 thereof into wedgin engage -.1

ment with the wedge faces 18-48 presented by the grooves l|l 1 of therespective posts to force frictional conthe friction surfaces l5l5 intotact with each other.

The improved shock absorber preferablyreplaces one or more of the springunits of a truck spring cluster of a railway car, being interposed;

friction surfaces; of a longitudinally extending groove on the innerside of each post at the fric tion surface side of the flange thereof,said groove having a lengthwise extending wall laterally in-- clinedaway from said friction surface, the flange of each post having thelongitudinal edge face {thereof laterally-inclinedand in wedging;engagement with said laterally inclined wall of the groove of the otherpost; and a spring surroundin said posts and yieldingly opposingrelative .lengthwise movement of the same toward each between the usualtop and bottom spring plates which cooperate with the cluster.

The operation of my improved shock absorber is" as follows: Upon thespring cluster of the truck of a railway car being' compressed betweenthe spring follower plates of the cluster, the shock absorbing unit,which is disposed between said follower plates, is compressed therewith,thereby forcing the post A downwardly toward the post B. High frictionalresistance is thus produced, due to the friction surfaces being wedgedtogether by the wedging action of the cooperating faces 16 and 8, whichare forced toward each other by the spring C. As compression of thedevice progresses, the pressure on the friction surfaces increases, dueto the inclination of the cooperating wedging edge portions of the platemembers I i-It and the lengthwise extending wedge faces presented by thegrooves of said posts. Upon release of the mechanism, the posts A and Bare restored to their normal position shown in Figure 1 by the expansiveaction of the spring C, longitudinal separation of the posts beinglimited by engagement of the stop lugs .l3 l9 and l8|9 with each other.

As will be evident, the arrangement of guided interengaged frictionportions of the posts of the .under weaving. conditions between thebolster and the side frame of the car, the friction members' bein heldtogetherby the spring induced ,vvedging action between the interengagedportions of the same.

Iclaim:

1. In a friction shock absorber, the combination with a pair ofrelatively lengthwise slidable friction posts having longitudinallyextending friction surfaces on: their inner sides, and each post havinglengthwise extending, transversely inclined wedge faces at inner andouter edgesof the friction surface thereof, the inner and outer facesof'one post cooperating respectively with the outer and inner faces ofthe other post,"said wedge faces being'angularly disposed with respectto said friction surfaces; of a sprin opposing relative lengthwisemovement of said posts toward each other and'forcing said wedge facesagainst each other to press the friction surfaces into engagement.

2. In a friction shock absorber, thecornbin ation with a pair offriction posts having longitudinally extending, laterally inwardlyprojecting, platelike flangesinside to sideengagem'ent with each otheron" lengthwise extending, flat f 'other, said spring exerting lateralinward pres?- sure on the posts to force said platelike flanges intowedging engagement with the laterally in- 15 clined walls of said poststo press said platelike flanges together.

3. In a friction shock absorber, the combination with a pair offollowers at opposite ends of the mechanism, said followers beingmovable toward and away from each other lengthwise of the device; ofan-inwardly projecting? post 'on each follower having. a lengthwiseextending;:lat-'- erally projecting, :platelike flange provided with afriction surface on-one side, said post having a longitudinallyextending wall at the inner .end of said friction surface of the flangethereof, said wall diverging laterally from said surface, the frictionsurfaces of said flanges of the posts':being in lengthwise slidingengagement with each other, and the flange of each post having'its longitudinal edge face transversely beveled and in wedging engagement withsaiddiverg'ing wall of the other post; and a-coil-spring bearing atopposite ends on said followers and yieldingly o'p posing relativelengthwise movement of said-posts toward each other, said springexerting lateral inward pressure on the posts to force said plateligeflanges into wedging engagement-with said diverging walls ofsaid poststo press said flanges together. i f 4. In a friction shock absorber, thecombina tion with a pairof friction posts having-'lo'ngi' tudinallyextending, inwardly projecting, plate;- like flanges in side to sideengagement with each other on lengthwise extending fiat friction 'surfaces,'said flanges havingtheir outer edges in clined lengthwise of themechanism; of alongitudinally' extending groove on-the inner side ofeach post at the, friction surface side'of the flange thereof, thegrooves of saidposts being correspondingly inclined to the outer edges'0: the flanges of said posts, each groove having' a lengthwiseextending wall; laterally incline'd away from the friction surface ofthe flange of said post and in wedging engagement with the outer edge ofthe flange of the other "postiand a spring surrounding saidpostsandyieldingly opposing lengthwise movement of the same to ward eachother, saidspring exertinglateral i n ward pressure on the posts toforce said platelike flanges 'edgewise' against the laterallyinclinedwalls of said posts to press said platelik fianget together.

, 5. In a friction shock absorben'the combines tion with "a pair offriction posts "having longi tudinally extending, inwardly projectingflanges, disposed side by side in frictionalengagement with each other,said posts bein movable to{ ward' each. other lengthwise of themechanism; ofa coil spring surrounding said posts, said springyie'ldingly opposing lengthwise movement of the posts and forcing the'same laterally in wardly toward each other to force said flanges towardeach other in edgewise directionpand co operating wedgefaces'on saidposts and outer edges of the flanges thereof for wedglng said flangestogether in lateral direction.

STACY B. HASELTINE.

REFERENCES CITED 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Lazna. Aug.31, 1937 Dath Aug. 20, 1946 Johnson et al Oct. 29, 1946 Haseltlne July13, 1948

